France Is Ungovernable. That Is Not a New Problem.
April 22, 2026 · Frisian News
France's latest political crisis shows a parliament too fragmented to pass budgets or laws. The problem runs deeper than any one election or leader.
France's parliament cannot pass a budget. For weeks, lawmakers from the left, center, and right have blocked each other's proposals. The government tried to push through spending measures without a vote. Three deputies from the Socialist Party walked out of talks. Macron's centrists hold roughly 160 seats in a 577-seat chamber. No coalition commands a majority. This did not start last week. It started long before Macron took office in 2017.
The French political system suffers from chronic fragmentation. The Fifth Republic's presidential structure was built for consensus, but consensus no longer exists. Voters in recent years have moved toward extremes. The National Rally on the right and hard-left parties on the left now claim large blocs of seats. The center, once France's political spine, has shrunk. Macron's party won 250 seats in 2022 and now holds fewer than 160. When the center collapses, governing becomes nearly impossible.
French politicians blame everyone but themselves. Macron says parliament is irresponsible. The left accuses the president of arrogance. The right demands fresh elections. None of them address the real issue: France's electoral system rewards fragmentation and punishes cooperation. Proportional representation would give smaller parties real power. The current system gives them veto power instead. A deputy from a fringe party can block the entire chamber.
Other countries face similar problems. Germany's coalition talks take months. Italy rotates governments every few years. Spain went through four elections in four years. But France has something else working against it: a strong presidency that expects to govern alone. When Macron won in 2017 and 2022, he thought he had a mandate. He did not. He had votes in a two-round system that concentrated support around him while fragmenting parliament. The system now eats itself.
France will muddle through. The government will find enough votes to pass something. The next election will produce another hung parliament. This cycle will repeat unless the French make hard choices about how they want to be governed. They have not made those choices. They probably will not.
It Frankryske parlemint kin gjin begruting oanniame. Wiken lang hawwe wetgivers fan links, midden en rjochts iekaars foarstellen blokkearre. De regering besocht útgavenmaatregels troch te drukken sûnder stimming. Trije ôffardigers fan de Sosjalistyske Partij liepen út de ûnderhandelingen. Macrons sintrumliberalen hawwe likernôch 160 seten yn in keamer fan 577 seten. Gjin koalysje hat in mearderheid. Dit begon net foarige wike. It begon al lang foardat Macron yn 2017 oantred.
It Frankryske politike systeem lêdt oan chronyske ferfragmentaasje. De presidinsjele struktuer fan de Fyfde Republyk wie boud foar konsensus, mar konsensus bestiet net mear. Kiizers binne yn resinte jierren nei de ekstreme ferskowen. De Nasjonale Liga oan de rjochterkant en radikale linkse partijen reklamaasje no grutte fraksjeblokkade. It sintrum, oars de politike rêchgrêt fan Frankryk, is krympte. Macrons partij wûn yn 2022 250 seten en hat no minder as 160. As it sintrum ynsturt, wurdt stjoer hast ûnmooglik.
Frankryske politisus jowwe elkenien útein sizels de skuld. Macron seit dat it parlemint ûnferantwurdich is. Links anklaait de presidint fan arrogânsje. Rjochts dringt op nije walskaatsen. Gjin fan harren behannelet it echte probleem: it Frankryske kieststelsel beloont ferfragmentaasje en strafet gearwurking. Evenredige fertsjintwurdiging soe lytse partijen echte macht jaan. It hjoedske stelsel jout harren vetorjocht ynstee derfan. In ôfardiging fan in mardoalpartij kin de heule keamer blokkearje.
Andere lannen hawwe fergelykbere problemen. Dútske koalysjepraten duorje moannen. Itaalije wikselt elk pear jier fan regearing. Spanje hie fjouwer walskaatsen yn fjouwer jier. Mar Frankryk hat noch wêr wurkjend tsjin jim: in sterk presidinsjeel amt dat ferwachtet allinne te kinnen stjoere. Do Macron yn 2017 en 2022 wûn, tocht er dat er in mandaat hie. Dat hie er net. Er hie stimmen yn in twafieldeelstelsel dat steun om him konsentreare wylst it parlemint ferfragmentarre. It stelsel itet himsels no op.
Frankryk sal der troch warstoelen. De regering sil genôch stimmen fine om wat oan te nimmen. De folgjende walskaats leveret opnij in ferdielde parlemint op. Dizze siklus werhellet him, útsein de Frankryken swiere kêzen meitsje oer hoe't sy stjoere wurde wolle. Dy kêzen hawwe sy net makke. Wierskynlik sille sy dat net dwaan.
Published April 22, 2026 · Frisian News · Ljouwert, Fryslân